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PAS : KE ARAH PEMERINTAHAN ISLAM YANG ADIL
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Racism: Is there a Solution ?
Invitation to Islam, Issue 4, January 1998
Nigger, Paki, Gollywog, Chink, Honkey, Sand-Nigger[1]
.... The list of remarks which signify racism in our
world, is endless. But to many people in the West,
racism no longer exists. Many believe that our
'free'(?) world has eradicated this problem. The
rights of homosexuals and animals are given higher
priority, and people believe that the real oppression
in the world lies here! Such delusion clouds the
reality which we live in. Whilst animal rights
activists and homosexuals march so vigorously for
freedom, they seem to forget that people the
world-over are continually being oppressed, simply due
to the colour of their skin or the label of their
race. How sad it is that the Western world
conveniently chooses to ignore the devastating
consequences of this problem.
According to the Oxford dictionary, racism is the:
"belief in superiority of particular race; antagonism
towards other races" [2]. From such a simple
definition arises so much oppression and hatred. The
belief that one particular race is superior to
another, has led to injustice and tyranny against
fellow humans. Racism is a disease which has taken on
epidemic proportions and has even become accepted in
many societies, past and present. But one may well
ask, where did such behaviour originate from?
Origins
The origins of racism can be found in the annals of
history. However, people are often biased and very
subjective in their findings. For example, a Jew may
claim that racism started with the expulsion of the
Jews from Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 CE [3]. An
Afro-centric[4] person on the other hand, may claim
that racism originated from the European colonisation
of Africa and the engagement with the slave trade.
Each race can thus claim to reveal the origins of this
problem according to their own historical sufferings.
Islam however, is not like this. Because Islam was not
revealed for a specific set of people or for a
specific period of time, it is able to answer this
question in a truly objective manner. This is one of
the reasons why Islam has been so successful against
racism. The origins of racism, as explained by Islam,
go back to the beginning of mankind's creation. Before
the creation of man, Allah the Most High, had already
created the Angels and the Jinn. Amongst the Angels at
that time was a Jinn by the name of Iblis. Iblis had
resided amongst the Angels and was very obedient to
Allah. However, this was to change, as Allah then
created man. This new creation of Allah was created
from clay and named Adam. He was first in the line of
humanity, and as a result occupies a very special
place in history. From him and his wife Hawwa (Eve),
the generations of humanity have descended. After his
creation, Allah ordered the Angels and those with them
to prostrate to Adam. The Qur'an informs us of this
important event, from which we may all learn a
valuable lesson:
"And (remember) when We said to the Angels: 'Prostrate
yourselves to Adam', and they all prostrated except
Iblis. He refused and was proud and was one of the
disbelievers"
(Surah Al-Baqarah 2:34)
and:
"(Allah) said: 'What prevented you (Iblis) that you
did not prostrate?' Iblis said; 'I am better then him,
you created me from fire and you created him from
clay'"
(Surah Al-A'raf 7:12)
In Islam, the other name for Iblis is 'Shaytan'[5] or
the Devil. Thus, the root of racism is attributed to
the Devil. Iblis's insistence on being better than
Adam, aroused his arrogance and pride. And what was
the reason for this insistence? Nothing more then the
fact that Iblis was of fire and Adam was of clay. It
was at this stage in the history of the world, that
the ugly head of racism first reared itself.
Iblis, the Devil, was consequently the world's first
racist! This Islamic explanation helps us to
understand the reality of racism. Pride and arrogance
leads to people thinking that they are better than
others, simply because of their physical makeup. This
pride and arrogance is truly a Devilish trait which
humans have learnt from Iblis, the accursed Devil.
Iblis's refusal to prostrate before Adam led to his
expulsion from the company of the Angels, and he vowed
to Allah that:
".. I shall indeed adorn the path of error for them
(humanity) on the earth and I shall mislead them all,
except Your chosen slaves among them"
(Surah Al-Hijr 15:39-40)
True to his word, the astray Devil has indeed adorned
the path of error for most of mankind throughout the
ages. One of these adornments has of course been the
Devilish behaviour of Racism.
Manifestations
Ever since Iblis's refusal to bow down to Adam, the
world has seen an increase in racism. Not only were
people affected by this trend, but so were religions,
creeds and ideologies. Before long Religions and
creeds were justifying the superiority of some over
others. An example of this is the religions of Judaism
and Hinduism. By their very teachings, both of these
ancient religions are racist. With Judaism, a person
cannot become a Jew unless be/she is born from a
Jewish mother. This then means that all non-Jews
cannot enter Paradise, simply because they were not
born into this faith! With Hinduism, not only does it
degrade the Creator by representing him as a monkey,
rat, cow, elephant and even the male private organ
(!), but it has also created one of the worlds most
ancient forms of racism - the caste system. According
to Hinduism, the higher castes originate from the
upper body-parts of God, such as the chest and head,
whereas the lower castes come from the lower bodyparts
of God such as the legs and feet! This theory of
degrading the Creator then justifies the oppression
which happens to the lower castes. Such is this
oppression, that if a higher caste person walks
through the shadow of a lower caste person, he deems
himself to have become impure and consequently has to
bathe himself!
Other religions such as Christianity, have often been
used to justify racist ventures. During the age of
exploration the European powers used Christianity to
justify their own imperial ambitions. The infamous
Spanish Conquistadors used Christianity as a pretext
to wipe out the Inca and Aztec civilisations of
Central and South America during the 15th and 16th
centuries. Nations such as the Dutch and the British
used Christianity to justify their horrendous
treatment of native Africans. The notorious
Trans-Atlantic slave trade saw one of the worst forms
of racism ever implemented. This form of racism saw
entire cultures wiped out and replaced with the
culture of their racist aggressors. This is why even
today, many of the surnames which people from the
Caribbean have, are in fact the names of their
ancestral European slave masters.
It is not only religion which has been gripped by this
disease, but also science. By the 19th century the
Western world had rejected religion and was looking
towards science to provide the answers for our
existence. The dominant theory at the time was Charles
Darwin's theory of Evolution. However, unknown to
many, Darwin's expeditions were only-funded by the
British government so that a scientific base could be
used for racist and imperial ambitions. The theory
espoused that man evolved from apes. It then claimed
that some people had not fully evolved from their
primate forms, and were thus inferior to others. These
inferior people were said to be the non-Europeans, and
especially the Africans. Thus, on a mission to
civilise these 'savages', the Europeans used Darwin's
theory to oppress and destroy many parts of the world.
The 20th century has also seen attempts to justify
racism and its theories. During the 30's and 40's the
German Nazi regime of Adolph Hitler used the
credentials of the Aryan[6] people, to legitimise his
ruthless actions. The Apartheid regime of South Africa
also used racism and racial segregation to maintain
its existence. This has continued until today with
many groups advocating clear White supremacy over the
rest of mankind. The Ku Klux Klan, the British
National Party and the Aryan Nation are examples of
such groups.
The faces of racism are many. It should not be thought
that racism is only conducted by the Europeans or
Whites. Racial superiority over Whites has also been
advocated by Black people during this century. After
centuries of oppression, the Black community in the
Western world expressed its sentiments in an explosive
way. The decade of the 60's saw many civil rights
movements emerge. Along with these came all the
radical movements who popularised slogans such as
'Black Power'. Before long there were many movements
who openly advocated racism against White people. What
made things even worse, was that some of the most
vocal movements attached themselves to the religion of
Islam - a religion which (as will be seen) destroys
racism from its very root. Amongst these groups were
the Nation of Islam and the Ansarullah[7]. They openly
advocated that the White people were devils and Black
people were gods. Their open (but false) attachment to
Islam helped to visualise Islam as being racist -
something which could not be further from the truth.
The Solution
So what is the solution for this world-wide epidemic?
As Muslims we know that to defeat racism means to
defeat Iblis, the Devil. Because humans are weak, it
would be imperative that we adopt some, divine method
in tackling this Devilish disease. This method is none
other then ISLAM, the untainted and pure religion
which came to benefit humanity through its teachings.
Just as Islam explains the origins of racism, it also
tells us how to combat it. This is firmly expressed in
the Qur'an, when Allah explains the reason for our
variety as different races and peoples:
"O' mankind, We have created you from a male and a
female, and made you into nations and tribes so that
you may know one another. Indeed the most honourable
of you in the sight of Allah is the one with the most
piety"
(Surah Al-Hujjarat 49:13)
It is clear from this verse as to how humanity should
act towards one another. We have been created like one
huge beautiful garden with many different types of
flowers in it. Each flower is clearly distinguished
from the other, yet they all belong to the same
garden. This unity of the nations can only be achieved
when people recognise that it is Islam which will
bring the different peoples of the world under one
banner. And it is within this banner that people can
achieve true piety and thus excel themselves in the
sight of Allah.
The teachings of Islam cut racism from its very root.
By looking at the sayings and actions of the last
Messenger, Muhammed (saws), we can see how racism was
truly obliterated with the advent of Islam. The
Prophet (saws) said: "Indeed there is no excellence
for an Arab over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab over an
Arab, nor a White person over a Black one, nor a Black
person over a White one, except through piety" [8].A
statement like this tells us that this man, Muhammed,
was truly a recipient of Divine inspiration. His words
were not empty like the words of so many leaders
today. Rather, he was always the first to lead by
example, and this is why we find that during his
lifetime so many different types of people accepted
Islam. From amongst the Prophet's companions we find
that he had an Ethiopian companion by the name of
Bilal. Bilal had been a slave before he accepted
Islam, and as a result his standing in Arabian society
was worse then the animals. However, upon Bilal's
conversion to Islam, the force to combat the disease
of Iblis, became known to all. Bilal was given a
status like no Black slave had been given before. He
was given the immense honour of being the first person
to call the Adhaan (call to prayer) in Islam's
glorious history. More importantly however, he was
accepted as an equal and a brother by the Prophet and
his companions.
Through its teachings and practical implementation by
the Prophet and his companions, Islam has spread to
every corner of the known world. You will not see a
more assorted group of people than the Muslims. From
China to Spain, Siberia to Australia - never has there
been such a wide body of people all united under one
banner - the banner of Islam.
The Prophet (saws) said: "Whosoever fights under the
banner of the blind, becoming angry for nationalism or
calling to nationalism or assisting nationalism and
then dies, he dies the death of the pre-Islamic
days"[9]. This statement of the Prophet makes it clear
that the consequences of involving ourselves in
nationalism (which is a form of racism), is dying upon
disbelief. And whosoever dies upon disbelief will
undoubtedly taste the Fire of Hell. Through such
statements, Islam totally isolates all forms of racism
which can occur amongst humanity. It is indeed sad,
that people cannot observe such beautiful advice, for
if they did then maybe all the bloodshed caused by
nationalism, ethnic cleansing etc. can be avoided.
The rites and injunctions of Islam also help to
overcome racism. An example of this is the prayer of
the Muslims. When Muslims pray in congregation, they
are commanded by Islam to join together their ankles
and shoulders to those next to them. Whether a man is
a king, a leader, a stave, a judge or even a beggar,
this command is incumbent upon every Muslim. Thus
Blacks, Whites, Arabs, Indians, Malays and all other
races: are truly united by worshipping their Creator.
This unity is not only confined to the prayer, but to
the whole of ones life, to the extent that Muslims try
to fall under the saying of their beloved Prophet who
said: "The example of the believers in their mutual
love and mercy is like the example of a body; if one
part of the body feels pain, then all the body suffers
in sleeplessness and fever "[10]. It is evident that a
Muslim follows this example set by the Prophet, when
he/she feels distress at the situation of the Muslims
around the world, be they from Africa, Palestine,
Kashmir, Bosnia etc. Unity amongst such a wide range
of people, can only be created by Islam.
Another rite which has helped so many to eradicate
racism from their lives, is the Hajj (pilgrimage to
Mecca), which is obligatory upon every Muslim at least
once in a lifetime. The Hajj brings together the
peoples of the world, all at one time of the year, in
one place. Anyone who has witnessed this annual rite
of Islam, will truly testify that there is nothing
quite like it. The breathtaking view of millions of
people gathered together, all for the purpose of
worshipping Allah, is unforgettable. It was this rite
of lslam which changed the life of the famous Black
nationalist-turned-Muslim, Malcolm X [11]. Describing
his experiences he said: "Never have I witnessed such
sincere hospitality and overwhelming spirit of true
brotherhood as is practised by people of all colours
here in this ancient Holy land.... There were tens of
thousands of pilgrims from all over the world. They
were of all colours, from Blue-eyed blondes to
Black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating
in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and
brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me
to believe never could exist between the White and
non-White. America needs to understand Islam, because
this is the one religion that erases from its society
the race problem"[12].
The words of Malcolm X can be added to; it is not only
America which needs to understand Islam, but rather
the whole world. Islam has brought so much to the
lives of so many, that it is inconceivable that racism
could be defeated without it. From the moment the
Prophet preached his message of unity under the
worship of Allah, did the light of hope shine forth in
this World of darkness. Honour has been given to all
those who have entered Islam. Throughout the ages,
those who normally would have been downtrodden were
rescued and dignified by Islam. Today, this is still
continuing. People who were clearly racist (like
Malcolm X) have been humbled and overwhelmed by the
truth of Islam. British National Party members, Ku
Klux Klan members, members of the Nation of Islam and
many others from racist organisations, have all become
united under the banner of Islam. It is now up to the
people of the world to choose; do they want to stay in
the darkness of racism or do they want to be
illuminated by the light of Islam?
Either way, Islam will still be, the ONLY solution for
racism.
Footnotes
1 Sand-Nigger: A racist term for Arabs.
2 The little Oxford Dictionary - 7th Ed - 1994
3 In 70 CE Jerusalem was under the Roman empire.
Following revolts by the Jews, the Romans expelled
them and destroyed their temple. After this the Jews
became widely dispersed and were oppressed greatly by
the Christians. During the Middle Ages the Jews were
granted sanctuary by the Muslim Empire from this
oppression. This debt was paid back when the Jews came
into Palestine and stole the land of the Muslims! It
is indeed ironic that the same people who were once
racially persecuted, have now turned racist
persecutors.
4 Afro-centric: One who identifies immensely with
Africa as being a place of origin for the human race.
5 In English he is known as 'Satan', 'Lucifer' or
'Beeizebub'
6 Aryan: Anyone who speaks an Indo-European language;
However in Hitler's case it had more to do with
physical characteristics, such as having Blond hair
and Blue eyes.
7 The founder of this freakish and unstable cult is
Dwight York, who was born in 1935 in New York, USA. In
1967 he officially formed this overtly racist group.
Like so many other cult leaders, York has claimed
divinity and abused his power. His corruption has even
landed him in jail (for tax evasion!), and his sexual
promiscuity has caused rumours that he has AIDS. The
group has undergone much change since its inception in
the late 60's. Since then it has changed a number of
times and now goes by the name of the 'Holy Tabernacle
Ministry'. It has also dropped its affiliation with
Islam.
8 Authentic - Reported by Ahmed
9 Reported by Muslim - Eng Trans. Vol.3 p.1029-30,
No.4555
10 Reported by Muslim - Eng Trans. Vol.4, p.1368,
No.6258
11 Malcolm X was born as Malcolm Little in 1925 in
Omaha, Nebraska. After spending time in jail he joined
the Nation of Islam and changed his surname to
indicate his detachment from White superiority.
Malcolm's powerful oratory skills brought
international recognition for the Nation of Islam.
However, upon discovering that Elijah Muhammed had
impregnated 2 of his secretaries, Malcolm's faith in
this man who claimed to be a messenger of God, was
shaken. In 1964 Malcolm made the Hajj which was to
show him true Islam. He changed his name to Malik
al-Shabbaz, and formally renounced the Nation of
Islam. This renunciation led to his assassination in
1965.
12 Taken from his biography by Alex Haley.
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